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Soundfile 19930101GRARWT5

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location ?

Topic White Tara

Transcriber Constantijn Koopman

Date August 2021

[Rimpoche starts talking at 0:03.50.1]

Rimpoche: Good morning, everybody. I don’’t know whether I had good dreams or none [laughs]. But I did work over the sunshine, so... And the sun is [inaudible], very nice.

So, before I go and we will continuously carry on whatever we’’re doing... Today will be slightly different than yesterday, and tomorrow will be almost totally different than what we’’ve been doing. But before I go and do this, I’’m quite sure quite a number of you will have some questions about... anything that... Questions and doubts and some great experience to share. Or maybe some curiosity, whatever. So, if you have any questions. Because, you know, when you go through, then I notice yesterday the time pushes us. So, maybe I should give you…… because a number of people started asking some questions here and there. So, I thought maybe we should give you at first something to talk about it, anything. Yes……

Audience: [inaudible] take refuge. You take refuge [inaudible].

Rimpoche: Okay, taking refuge. I don’’t know whether it is only sort of Buddhist…… it only apply to Buddhist or not. 0:06:04.1 I’’m not sure. But the word refuge, which I had myself a personal experience…… I shared a little bit the other day. But when I was kicked out of Tibet, or when I ran out of Tibet, rather. Maybe nobody kicked me, I don’’t know. When I ran out of Tibet, when I get to the Indian border…… So as I told you the other day, we ran cross the Himalayan mountains, which is very difficult to cross. It is middle of…… maybe it is end of March, early April. And that was the time. When we came near the path that you really have to cross, the border between Tibet and India, it is right on the top of the hill. So, this side is India, that side is Tibet. It’’s whole throughout the Himalaya region it goes like that. So, when we reach near here, we started looking up. There are about…… I don’’t know. Maybe about two hundred or three hundred people.

So, we came there and we sort of at the foothill of the mountain. I can remember very clearly. We settled down, found fuels and started making tea. And there’’s about maybe twenty or thirty groups there. And in the midst of there some crazy guy who happens to be a government official. I mean absolutely crazy, you know: absolutely. And he started sort of shouting on the top of the voice. And he said everybody has to come to him and listen and something. And then he said, ““Now here is the border. And you cannot, you have to go crossing the border. And those of you who have a connection with the Chinese cannot go cross the border.”” [laughs] 0:09:05.7 Somehow, he has to scream everybody whether who is going over and who is not going over. So, he keep on, he sort of stopped us there for half the daynand started giving lectures. And those of us who sort of, you know…… So, we sent a representative, actually. We all didn’’t go. All these people who are meeting the tea, group people. And each group sent a representative to listen to him. And he is holding them for half a day and giving lectures, said he want to list everybody and he would like to scream, and everything. And he’’s going on and on and on. So, people who is not fighting back, they are simply listening to him. And after some time they say, ““Well, please, do consider carefully,”” blah, blah, blah, blah. And about that time a group of about hundred or hundred-fifty strong group (everybody has a gun, each, and a horse riving??? ).. and just passed through and crossed up on the mountain side. And then he can’’t say anything, everybody started leaving [laughs]. That was over. And then he started [inaudible] it’’s a huge snow mountain. Anyway, finally we found a way out through crossing the snow by exactly at midnight, we have been able to cross border. By the time when we are going up, there is a tremendous danger. We are going through the snow: you have no idea where you’’re going, what you’’re doing. And there is something which interesting…… I never mentioned to anybody before. But the number of people who are there, about four, five hundred people at that time do know.

Maybe, I share with you, I don’’t know why, but…… So, and people are sort of…… The mountains look like this. There’’s a big peak and then there is a…… sort of look small, and then here. And people try to cross here, people try to cross here, sort of every attempt was making that time. That group particularly came with the guns and all this. 0:12:02.2 They went like this, over here. And halfway through the ??? they came back. Okay. And I keep on thinking seeing holes over here. You know, some like drawings, you do some very beautiful drawings you can see hole through. Keep on seeing and couldn’’t figure out what it is. And then I started saying to people, ““Maybe, we should make attempt to cross not on this but between two of this. Maybe we should make an attempt to cross here.”” And I was young that time, about nineteen years old. And some people said, ““Maybe, this is an incarnate lama, he is saying and something. Maybe, we should ought to listen to him.”” [laughs] Some people said, ““Ah, nonsense! What does he know about the crossing mountain? He’’s been sitting in the nice comfortable room and sitting and learning. What did he know?””

So anyway, at the meddling??? a few people read?? to make attempt. So, we made attempt, so we actually crossed over here, on this particular path. And we didn’’t lose any human life at all. We lost two mules and two yaks. They died because they cut through the snow because…… They’’re really good. Sometimes, the mules are better than the yaks. And they went too??? So, we came across, and no matter how difficult when we have, how difficult we have this. And we’’re afraid. As far as I am concerned, we are afraid. The Chinese soldiers will come and catch us and shoot. And it’’s so easy, you know. You sit in the snow, and all they keep like this. [laughs] It is so easy to do anything, whether they come through the route or through the valley or by air. Whatever they want they come. It’’s so easy in the middle of the snow, right? And we have all these people, and so it’’s very easy to shoot. And the fear what I have is, something will come and start da-da-da-da-da. There it’’s??? over. So, no matter whatever it takes and we have to totally rely on, rely on. Totally rely of. And we’’re saying we hope to get across without any difficulty. 14:58.00

So, this total rely on is the idea of taking refuge. Buddhist idea of taking refuge. It is very similar: there might not be a Chinese communist coming behind and shooting. However, we have tremendous amount of negative parts which creates negative karma. And they’’re after us; one time or another they will catch. So, before they caught us we want going beyond their reach. Sort of rely on is the idea of taking refuge. So, even our case there’’s not physical threat of bombardment or anything, but there is a karmic threat of our negative karma. Before they catch us, we would like to go beyond. The word go beyond is very important. Even Buddha or enlightened beings sometimes referred in the Buddhism as gone beyond. They say tathagata. Tathagata, it’’s gone beyond. That Sanskrit word, tathagata. So, it’’s gone beyond. Beyond what? Beyond the problem, beyond the pain. The pain and the problem cannot catch you because you’’ve gone beyond that level. That’’s what it is. So, the taking refuge is: until we cross the border and hoping nothing will happen. And total, I mean: absolutely you’’re hopeless and helpless in the middle of snow. I remember, when you put your feet one feet down it will go zoop to this much. And then you sort of pull it up and put another one, it will go this much. And then, remember there’’s no snow boots, no (what do you call it?) girdles, nothing. And a few older people, you know. And what they do is they cut the hair out of animal, yaks and some horses and mules. They cut their tail a little but of hair out. And they make something funny thing. You sort of wear it above your eyes, people make that. And so that.. the glare doesn’’t burn your eye. 0:18:03.3 I think they do make that. And it’’s a funny thing. In Tibet, these older lamas (old, old, older lamas), they do have some kind of funny little hat which has this black strip going across, they wear. And then they put on their hat on top of that. And I keep on…… As a kid, I keep on seeing them. I thought, ““Oh, that’’s a funny dress!”” I always keep on thinking it is some kind of a dress, special dress, head dress. They put it on. And when I’’m crossing the mountain at that time I learned why that came first. Because??? older people, they don’’t have glasses. Often they cut down the sun glare, whatever it is. Glare, they might be putting that. And later it becomes a decoration. So, they make it much more elaborate, put brocade around. And then, it becomes a little showpiece, you know. And I did notice that at when I am crossing the mountain. That was originally, probably they used that way. It is always the elder ones’’ use, not the younger ones’’. I keep on thinking it is funny, but that is really what it was.

Anyway, taking refuge is like that. And once we had crossed the Indian border, what happened is…… Well, there is a long story, I’’m not going to share it. But the moment we met with the Indians, you know, there are like ten Indian border patrol or some time?? There’’s like you know???... probably about 5,000 Tibetans with guns and all this sort of things are there. And so the first thing what they told us is, ““Take off all these…… What do you call? In the gun you have something which you push through. Not the chamber, the little thing that... Not the cartridge. The old guns you put a cartridge in and then you have some little knob…… bolt, yeah. They put and then you shoot. So, then they take all the bolts out of the guns. So, whether you liked or not. There’’s wild Tibetans. You know, there is no gun control in Tibet, right? So, the wild Tibetans they would like to keep their weapons. They rather die than let their weapon go. That’’s what the wild Tibetans are. 0:21.00.6 But when you get to the Indian border, there is like, you know, ten little Indians standing there [laughs]. And they all have to take it out, we all have to take it out. And then, no idea what they’’re doing –– truly. Because they got little polar??? bag and put everything in there. Put everybody’’s gun bolt. And those who had small little hand guns and that thing which you... the bullet which they could put. They took them out and put everything in here. And they don’’t want take bullets. Just they want take that one, nothing else. So you landed/ended??? up with carrying that big long stake, and ???? down [laughs]. So, that’’s exactly how when I took refuge in India ??? That’’s what happens.

So, similarly…… very similar: the spiritual practice and how the material life works. Very very similar. So, when you have the problem of pain and suffering…… that is why Buddhist talk a lot about suffering. Buddha talked a lot about suffering all the time. So sometimes very strange, you know, when I meet wih people some time in the train... And they say, ““Where are you from?”” And I said, ““From Tibet.”” So, then they said, ““What do you do?”” I said, ““Well, I teach Buddhism.”” ““Oh Buddhism, oh that’’s the religion of suffering, right?”” [laughs] A couple of people told me that: religion of suffering. Some because???…… suffering religion, right? [laughs] So, anyway the Buddhism does not bring the suffering, nor the Buddhism is a suffering religion. However, what happens is, as I told you yesterday or day before that: Buddha tried to share his personal experience of what life really are. So, when he sees that with a great development of wisdom and he sees clearly, then he chose to share that. The first sharing of the Buddha is called Four Noble Truths. So, the Four Noble Truths. Out of Four Noble Truths, the First Noble Truth of truth of suffering. So, the Buddha does not produce suffering new. 0:24:00.1 But what happens is: he acknowledges, and he realize and acknowledges. And that is the reality.

I mean, we don’’t like it, but it is reality. We would like to deny the suffering, all problems. That is in our normal habit: we always deny. Don’’t we? We like to deny. And that’’s really true. If you don’’t believe, just observe yourself. And look other people what they do. Normally, you know, what they say, ““I’’m not angry but blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”” So, you deny that you yourself is angry, but you are complaining a long time. A long time. It is the denial goes first. As a matter of fact, the denial is the actual shield, the protection shield of negativity. The first shield. If you want to break it, you have to break that first. That’’s the protection shield: you deny. When you deny, what can you do, right? Make??? the same thing. And some we reseal?? within ourself, the person that you care, you love, and have physical problems. Some illnesses, right? Some illness, some physical problem. The person just don’’t want to be bothered about it or don’’t want to think about it, don’’t want to talk about it. So then, whether it is wife or husband or somebody say, ““Well, hey honey, you have to go and do this.”” ““There’’s nothing wrong with me. I’’m not going to sit down there???”” Right? People do that, don’’t they? ““[inaudible] I’’m alright, I’’m talking you’’re??? alright.”” People say that. So, the denial is the normally we have in our habitual pattern, whether it is negative emotion or illnesses or anything. Anything which you don’’t like it, you would like to deny. That is our habitual pattern. The first shield of the negative. 0:27:00.1 Which will be gladly to carry on and cooperate with it. So if you stop denying, we’’re having a problem, then we recognize the problem???.

When Buddha says, ““The problems and pains you have, people have...”” It’’s not necessarily: when you say suffering, you say, ““Oh, it is a terrible suffering.”” You know, you may get an idea of what is happening in the slums of Calcutta or something. You’’ve seen that movie called what……? City of joy. Some of you I’’m sure you have seen. So, the moment you say suffering, you may think of like a slum of Calcutta. Or the sufferings that occurred in Somalia. Right? And that type of picture you may pick up. But that’’s not necessarily true. That is of course suffering! But there are different levels of suffering, tremendous different levels of suffering. And these people have physical suffering, right? But even though they have suffering, but their emotional problems are still there, right? No matter how much they are suffering and how much people try to help. And actually, look at what is happening that’’s what [inaudible] Somalia today. Is it Somalia? Or Mogadishu, whatever that is, anyway. If you look at that as an example…… I mean, Americans want there to help, right? And we all know that, and everybody was so eager to send people down there, to get their relief, deliver through the points???. That’’s what the whole purpose, right? You wanted there to help. And whatever happened the day after, now you’’ve become the enemy of these people That’’s exactly. Though they’’re suffering, but their emotional anger and all this are still there. Very strong. So, when they can’’t get anybody else, they started grabbing any excuse they can get at. Emotional problems do that suffering??? 0:30.00.0

So if you look at the suffering, it’’s everywhere there. And when you say suffering, you may look like that. But that is the physical suffering, they’’re there. But we have different suffering. We have emotional suffering. And I talked that with everybody. We do have a lot of emotional suffering, we do. We torture ourselves with our own crazy thoughts. And it doesn’’t have to be anything right or wrong, but just keeping, ““Oh, I didn’’t do it,”” ““I blow it,”” ““I’’ve done that,”” ““How I’’m terrible””, and ““I’’m not going to make it,”” ““I’’m hopeless and helpless.”” And all sorts of thing. You know, hopeless and helpless everything you can think of it, and maybe/make??? yourself miserable and sit at the corner of some kind of house. And maybe you try of ??? of your life and sit at a corner and just, just make some sort of such a delicate or such a fragile that you sort of really do break at the horn/home???. And just wait. And that is our suffering, we do. And if you look at the Third World nations, they have different suffering: shortage of food, shortage of this…… I gave example like coolies in India. If you know the coolies in India. They have tremendous difficulties; they don’’t have money, they don’’t have food. So the sit there twenty-four hours at a corner of the railway station. And they just dose off little bit and the moment the train comes Peoo they have all hundreds of them jumped up all together at one train, just to try to get hold of somebody’’s luggage. And when you have the luggage... they have a tremendous huge luggage, three or four boxes. No matter how heavy it is, put on their head and run. And if you don’’t run with them you lose your luggage. So, you have to run with them [laughter]. And that’’s what they do. So, they do have emotional problems, but there is no opportunity for them to experience emotional problems. True! The Asians, the Indians, we all have emotional problems as much as you do in the west. But they don’’t have opportunity to experience that because the other suffering is too severe. They overtake that emotion. You don’’t have time or chance to play with that at all. 0:33:02.6 So, forget it truly yourself. But they don’’t even can’’t experience; there’’s no opportunity. But we do. On the other hand, we do. We suffer a lot.

So, that’’s what the Buddha really introduced as suffering, as First Noble Truth. Some have more, some have less; some have physical, some have mental, some have emotion. Most of us have all of them, anyway. So, like that. And that’’s reality. So, Buddha introduced and saying that, ““This is reality.”” And that comes the First Noble Truth. That’’s reality, that’’s true: true to you, true to me, true to everybody else. Then, he said, second, he said, ““Hey, it’’s not hopeless and helpless.”” And also he says, ““Hey, this is impermanent and it is the result of something else. So, don’’t treat the symptom, but treat the cause.”” He said, ““Don’’t fight with the symptom, fight with the cause.”” So, if there’’s no cause, the result will not come. So he introduced Second Noble Truth, telling the cause of suffering. Just like the Indians telling us, ““If you take out the bolts of the guns, take it out, we will let you go through. Otherwise, we will stop you here.”” And just like that. And they’’re telling, ““If you remove the cayse of the suffering, the result will not come.”” Right? If there’’s no bolt you can shoot at all! [Laughs] So that’’s actually... that’’s what it is. So, if there is no cause, the suffering cannot come. That’’s exactly what it is. So the Second Noble Truth.

Third Noble Truth will say, ““What happens day after?”” They say, ““Hey, day after you get peace and joy!”” That is the third. And then they say how. They said, ““Follow the path.”” Then it becomes the fourth. So, the first two is cause and result, second two is cause and result, cause and effect. So, that is basically how the Four Noble Truths goes on. 0:36:06.4 And so, question is refuge. That’’s how you take refuge. And after taking refuge, you follow. It is good to go and see doctor, say, ““Hey, doc, I’’m having pain here.”” Then he looked and he said, ““Oh, I think I know what you’’re having problem. Take this!”” So, he gives you a little piece of paper (right?) and write prescription. ““Take this!”” And if you know about that and if you don’’t take that it doesn’’t affect. It doesn’’t recognize??? the pain and it will still be there. Perfectly. Unlike this, take refuge and they say, ““Hey, follow the rule of karma.”” And that’’s the prescription. It says, follow the rule of karma. That’’s the prescription. So, taking refuge means just like that. So anyway, I overtaught???, so…… That is the refuge thing.

Anybody else having any other question? Yes, lady...

Audience: Would you comment on the visualization of the four directions of north, east, south and west in creating the mandala during meditation?

Rimpoche: What mandala are you talking about it?

Audience: Creating the visual…… just in regard to creating space visually within the north, east, south and west. What is the purpose of having the directions of north, east, south and west in the visualization of the inner world, so to say.

Rimpoche: The mandalas are basically... each different deities has its own little mandalas. Not little mandala, one mandala. So, mandala is the world of its own; it is environment and architectural position of a paradise of each deities. So, the directions are there. Basically, is what east, west, north, south is... there. So, when you build a house, or when you talk about dual housing?? or anything, you do need to talk about the directions in order to make some kind of sense of which side you’’re in or which side you’’re out. 0:39:02.9 So, you need to have the directions. Like normally, if you build an ordinary house, you need to know which side the house is facing, which side the window is facing... Uhm Uhh?

Audience: You can orient yourself.

Rimpoche: Orient. Orientating, I’’m not very sure. I’’m not ???, but the world orientation really means…… Orient means east, isn’’t it?

Audience: If I find myself in a place knowing the boundaries or the parameters??? or whatever those things are allows me to orient myself within that space, position myself...

Rimpoche: The word orientation, if you trace it back, what does the root of the word orientation... I believe, it is east. Maybe, I’’m wrong. So, in other words, they’’re telling you which side is east, which side is west, which side is south, which side is north. Maybe, that it is, I think. So anyway, to make sense of which direction, and that’’s what the directions been provided. And then also there’’s a sort of doors, gates: of east gate and south gate and north gate, and so and forth. So whatever it happens, in the mandala system you always sort of focus. When you look from outside, you focus.. whichever the direction you’’re looking, is considered as eastern direction. This is its own little thing, its own little thing. So, you introduce from the eastern side, or whatever it is. Eastern side. Maybe, it is an orientation. So maybe, that is the reason why. You know, I think that’’s in the mandala that will do. That’’s what it is. I don’’t think there’’s any other way of making the division of east and west, in particularly difference in the terms of mandala. Except when you’’re looking, you always look from the inside. In visualization. In drawings, of course, you can turn it around, right?

Yes……

Audience: Thank you so much for the mandala. Very powerful.

Rimpoche: Thank you.

Audience: [inaudible] 0:42:00.6

Rimpoche: Small puja, I believe it’’s on the…… What do you call the place? Pediur???, thank you. Thank you. Tomorrow, after the break, just you meet here and we do the conclusion, the protection part of it. The Tara practice, the protection is different, so that you can carry with you wherever you go. And so, then after that we do the small puja, actually for peace. For the peace on the earth. So, that is sort of good luck and peace for your own, your family, nearest and dearest, and actually for the earth. For peace in the world we should say, right?

Yes, sir?

Audience 2: Are there any special reason techniques??? that Seven Years in Tibet describes the meditation?

Rimpoche: Yes, breathing techniques is considered very important. Because when you’’re learning to focus, it is easy to focus on the sensations that re???nd within your body. And best the thing come through the breathing. Because it’’s constant. And it may change here and there, become shallow and harder, and all this and that. But if you relax and if you keep on counting the breathing going in and out. So normally, what we do is nine-round breathings. So, then you focus on the breathing going out from the right nostril, and then taking it in from the left nostril. Three times, that’’s three. Then the other way around: getting out from the left, getting in from the right nostril. Three times. Three plus three is six. Then, from both: in, out together three times. That’’s called nine round. So, that is become a long set. And then you do rounds of two set or three set, whatever you want to do. Any amount. So, it depends on the time, willingness and thing. And if you do it, that’’s how they begin to…… so, when you do the exercise, it’’s sort of beginning on that. Actually, you try to learn the focusing on the mind. So, that’’s on the breath. So, that the mind returned to be able to focus on certain things rather than jumping around everywhere. 0:45:07.3

Yes...

Audience 3: The Second Noble Truth, you say, is look at the cause of the suffering. How do you do that and what do you do?

Rimpoche: The question is: Second Noble Truth, the cause of suffering, and how do you look at it, how do you do? What do you do here is when you look at it, what causes suffering, what causes joy. That’’s the question. So, we don’’t exactly know by our ordinary eyes or something what causes joy and what causes pain. But here, the question of karma rises. So, we rely on the enlightened beings’’ words. And they say negative causes, negativity causes negative, and positivity causes positive. In other words, good work causes joy, and bad things causes suffering. Which we rely on the enlightened words, but if you think very carefully it’’s true. I don’’t think anybody will doubt for that, so it’’s true. So when you say the cause: what makes me to have pain or what makes me to have this difficulty? So what you look at it, of course it’’s your own karmic result. So, you have karmic cause. You’’re with me? You have a karmic cause. Then, what does this karmic causes coming from and who made this karmic cause? Nobody else but ourselves. Which is the negatives that we produce. Negative: negative karmic imprint, which when it is materialized with the right condition, and it become the problem. With the right conditions. The karma is powerful, no doubt. But it also depends on the conditions. If the condition is not right, no matter how strong the karma may be –– good or bad –– can never be materialized. Original karma depends on the cond……. 0:47:53.5 The sound is falling away here and can only be heard again at 0:50:29.1

……and all this, because karma also depends on the conditions. Particular karma depends on the condition, that right. If the condition is not right, no matter how strong karma you may have it, it will not materialize. But if it’’s good or bad; but one time somehow, somewhere the condition will be right and then materialize. That’’s what it meant: karma is definite. 0:51.02.8 But just by having karma itself alone cannot produce the result. It has to depend on the condition. Right? Each one of us have a karma to have a stomach problem. We do, everybody does. But unless you eat something wrong or you get cold or something, some conditions are not right, you’’re not going to get a stomach ache at all. It depends on the condition as well. So that’’s why there’’s room for everything.

Yes, there.

Audience 4: What if the cause of the suffering comes from outside of yourself, in other words, nothing that you have caused within your own being. When a certain circumstance happens to somebody you love for, or perhaps an accident or a death??? or something. 0:52:06.3

Rimpoche: These are the conditions.

Audience 4: These are the conditions for your own karma? Is that what……

Rimpoche: That’’s right. The conditions are right and karmic spark off. Like I’’m just now telling you: eat the wrong food, you get a stomach ache. Right? And that’’s: eating the wrong stuff, it becomes the condition sparking off that karma of stomach pain, which will take place then that, and we suffer. And then we get better. The conditions change, and then that’’s how it works.

Audience 4: But how does that connect with somebody else’’s karma, the things that happens to the person you’’re involved with. It’’s just??? your karma come together with his?

Rimpoche: Yeah. There’’s something called collective karma. The collective karma because interdependent system. Interdependent religion is very much involved with everybody that you come across. And even you breath same air, which means the whole world is connected. And there is something called collective karma, and individual karma, and connected karma. When you go in that detail, there’’s a lot of those details there. And the collected karmas are shared collectively by those people who are together. Like, say, the plain full of people goes somewhere, and some crazy hijacked the plane. And the anxiety that you go through together is the collective karmic result of those who are on that plane. Including the hijacker and including the pilot.

Yes.

Audience 5: What is the significance of the vessels of water behind you.

Rimpoche: The vessels of water behind me is offerings. The offering represents the water offering. It represents the purity. The water has…… I mean, presumably it’’s guru water, right? So, the water has some qualities, such as:

TANG SHI SIL LA NYE WA ME WAR CHU

TO WA DUM BRIR ME NA CHEN DEN CHUS

It is is clean, it is clear, it is cool in measure and it has no dirt and not in that.

TANG SHI SIL LA NYE WA……

It will not harm your throat, it will not harm your stomach. 0:55:03.6 Eight qualities. So, that’’s why the water represents the purity. So, pure. And the seven has also different points. There’’s many of those type of things that are ??? .

Yes?

Audience 5: I’’ve just started reading about Buddhist philosophy, and I have the impression from what I’’ve read that the feeling is that being any ??? within this three-dimensional world is a negative thing; that we just have to go and get out of this. Is that a correct impression?

Rimpoche: I think…… I’’m afraid it is absolutely incorrect. It is true: we’’re born in this, we’’re born with suffering. We will have pains and problems, just because we’’re born here. It is the wrong??? itself. That we can…… It’’s baggage. But the life what we have is tremendously important. And it’’s very, very important and very valuable. Very valuable. A great life, it’’s not bad at all. The earlier Tibetan Buddhist masters compare our life with a sort of magical lamp. You know this children’’s story? That you get magic lamp and you pray and, dzoom, something happens, right? Like that, he says this life can give you anything what you wanted. This life is so important! It can achieve anything. There’’s nothing which you cannot say you cannot do it. The human life is capable of delivering any achievement: material, spiritual, financial. It is basically life itself, that human life is capable of delivering that. Whether the individual is capable enough to get there or not, it’’s different. But life itself, basically, from the life point of view, it’’s tremendous value. So therefore, in Tibetan Buddhism, and in Buddhism, you are recommended to embrace life rather than reject. 0:58.08.8 Embrace life. Because in this life you can achieve, in the spiritual point of view, you can achieve highest level. Like Buddha is an ordinary human being. He might be prince or something, but it is a human being who was born as a human being, just like you and me. But be able to use his opportunity and make best use of it, become a Buddha. And that is the achievement of a human life. Look at any, anybody, like, you know, all of those great masters. In reality whatever they may be. Maybe, you know, even the…… I mean, maybe it’’s not a problem for me to say. But even you look at Jesus Christ, it may be some of that. But born as a human being. We see him as a human being. And he acted as a human being, he went with human beings, ate with them, drink with them, walked with them, and showed his extraordinary-ness. And that also achieved, achievement of human being. And look at any sort of spiritual master. Even the scientist, the military capability. I’’m not saying it’’s great, but they are all human beings’’ achievements. So, the human life has a tremendous capacity and capability to achieve, whether it is material, spiritual, economic or military. 1:00:11.2 Whatever it is. There’’s that???. Which is not with any other life. Right? They do have a certain capacity, but they cannot. Human beings can conquer the world, whole world, but dolphins will not be able to conquer the whole world. Nor the birds, not the cockroaches. They don’’t have the capacity. So, that’’s the human life: tremendous capability. So, the human life has to be embraced, not to be rejected. That is basic Buddhist, what do you call it? 101. [laughter] You know, human being universities they have to ??? call 101. So, it is like that.

Audience 5: [inaudible] ...because of the meditation wants to rise above some [inaudible]

Rimpoche: That’’s the reality of samsara. And go beyond samsara is the purpose. But that does not mean you reject??? human life. The human life is capable of delivering that. That is a great vehicle.

Audience 6: So, we should be glad to hear about……

Rimpoche: Of course, yeah. We should rejoice and enjoy the life, and make best use of it: spiritually, materially, educationally, economically, whatever! Make best use of it; that is the...what do you call it? American collective karma has given a great life in the United States. And if you cannot make best use of it, it’’s your back luck. [laughs] I’’m sorry, but really you have to make it best use of it. Nobody stops you. And it’’s called a land of opportunities, right? We all came here, we all come here because of land of opportunities. And if you can’’t take the opportunity out of the land of opportunities, uhhh……. [laughter] So, that’’s that. Yeah. I’’m sorry. [small applause]

1:02:57.3

Audience 7: So, what you would say is, we do have a choice to either change or alter our karma without having to surrender to our karma.

Rimpoche: That’’s right. The idea of surrender to karma, and you say, ““Oh, this is my karma, I’’m hopeless, I’’m helpless”” is not right. Once the karma materializes, you may have to wait a certain time to pass through. You may have to wait. But the waiting does not mean: I can do nothing. That’’s not the waiting. The waiting means: try to change it, try to alter it. Both with materially, spiritually, economically. You have to try to change. And that is the alteration of karma, which is always you can do. You know, there is a talk, there is a talk, there is a dialogue called Wise and foolish. And give the example of the foolish is, ““Oh, it’’s my karma! Heavy? [inaudible] I want to sit and run.”” And do nothing. There’’s five of them. They call it saying of stupidity. I’’m sorry. Saying of stupidity. There are five of them is. I don’’t remember exactly what are those five . So, there are five of them. One of them is ““I can’’t [???] I go helpless, I’’m helpless.”” And getting down in the corner and sitting doing nothing. It is the one of the saying of a scholar Lungpo Sherab Chenwa Tangayiz??? It is when wisdom becomes corrected, or wisdom becomes wild, hopelessly gone wrong, these are the signs. They tell you that. So, it’’s always changeable. The karma, no matter how powerful, how strong it is, one has to remember it is impermanent. Impermanent. It is changeable. Everything is impermanent. Even the permanent structures are impermanent. It will also change, true!

Yes?

Audience 8: You said that life is very sacred and that we should embrace it. How does Buddhism look upon suicide. We have now in this country a question going as to whether a person should have the right to end their life as they’’re suffering terribly. How does the Buddhist philosophy look upon suicide?

Rimpoche: Well, suicide is definitely not a great thing. It is negative, it is non-virtuous. 1:06:02.1 It is non-virtuous, it is negative. And it is bad. It gives you that karma of... not only killing, but also the killing of a human being, even though you end your own life. It is bad. However…… even though you’’re suffering. However, however, Buddha doesn’’t say it but my…… the way we have to observing it…… however, your truly??? life basically depends on the machines. Like, you know, the machine breathe for you and go on and on and on, is not necessarily great either. Not necessarily great either. Sort of nature cause of death, the natural death. I mean, I would like myself to be in that way. Whatever it maybe, natural thing, rather than artificially prolong or intervening and cut short. And both are not great. That is how it is.

Yes?

Audience 9: [inaudible] when somebody still??? dies and does not achieve nirvana. Would he be reincarnated as a person again or would he have to go, like in India, through the many life cycles?

Rimpoche: Well, I do not know whether you get to India or not, but reincarnation is definitely. Yes.

Audience 9: As a person?

Rimpoche: As a person or as a being. Let me be gentle over here: as a being. [laughs] Whether it is human being or pig being or dog being, I don’’t know. [laughs] That’’s why I try to be gentle. As a being: yes Reincarnation: yes. Reincarnation: absolutely yes. I mean, I’’m talking about my own view, I’’m sorry. Forget me. But from my own background…… And one thing is: if I don’’t accept the reincarnation, I lose my position. Don’’t you know that? [laughter] You know, they call me incarnate lama of Tibet. So if there’’s no reincarnation, I don’’t have a chair anyway. 1:09:05.8

I’’d better answer that.

Uhh?

Audience 10: They do what others think. [laughter]

Rimpoche: It means??? [inaudible] Yes, reincarnation: definitely. But on the other hand…… Reincarnation is great idea and wonderful. But reincarnation is not escape from death or dying. You know what I mean? A lot of people will use this as an escape from that. You know, a number of people will tell me, ““It’’s all right when I get back. I have it here, right?”” Unfortunately, no. So, people may think that reincarnation is almost to the point that I go to the bathroom and change and have a shower and come out and change with the new clothes. They almost view that much. And that is too extreme: not. Unfortunately, the news from the incarnation is not like that. When the people die, you die. When you die, you die. You know what that means? Well, what it really meant is: disconnecting yourself with whatever the utmost fear and conditions are. It is the point of disconnecting, disconnecting individual to whatever you’’re used to it: your living, your friends, your relations, your belongings, your things, your work. Even the body in which you’’re born together. Or the body which is born with you together: it is also you disconnect. Even your mind, truly speaking. Even your mind you disconnect.

So, the disconnecting... the process of building, it goes up to the young people till about twenty-four, twenty-five, somewhere around there. 1:12:11.1 So, that goes on and building up all the time. So, that is the sort of the full peak, lurred??? every period. It is round about that age. Then we begin to grow the process of disconnecting, is begin. So, we don’’t see it, we wear glasses. We don’’t heart it, we add up hearing aid. Right? That’’s what we do because of the weakness of the eye consciousness and ear consciousness. So needs it help. So you put glasses on it or you put whatever. Or you put contact lens on, or whatever it is. You know? It depends on that. That’’s what we do, right? So, that is the gradual process of withdrawing. One of my teachers, when he was learning the poetry, at age of eleven he wrote,

KA YE TOR DA CHU DA……

So the Tibetan leters, like a-b-c-d is like ka-kha-ga-nga. So, he made... (what do you call it?) ...the lines of six or seven or nine words together, starting with the alphabetical orders. So he said, KA YE TOR…… And he said: KAY: calling the friends, hell friends??? The invitation from the Lord of Death, the second word goes, ““Received by us in the form of snow on our head.”” Means color is changing, you’’re become gray or white. That’’s the…… they call it invitation. So anyway, it is the sign of disconnecting. So, then you gradually disconnect, disconnect, disconnect, disconnect. And finally came to the point you do not recognize anything. You do not recognize your friend. You don’’t even recognize your own name. You call it not remembering. Not remembering. And then you…… that is the disconnecting how it goes. So, it goes too subtle, it goes so subtle that a tiny little subtle??? thing called I or the consciousness, or so whatever you may call it, to dissolve everything on that tiniest little possible subtle, which has no form, no shape, no color, not tangible will finally get out of this rented apartment. 1:15:17.9 [laughter]

Yes, it’’s true. The apartment is no longer working: there’’s no sheet, there’’s no water, there’’s... not functioning. So, you can no longer stay there, you have to get out. That’’s what it is, okay?

Yes, yes……

Audience 11: This is a question: do you carry any ability [inaudible] is this disconnected with the mind as well? In reincarnation, I mean: death? Do you carry any? Is it possible? Any knowledge or…… into the next life?

Audience 12: What is left in a positive way of our ego? Yes.

Rimpoche: The karmic imprint. The karmic imprint, the habitual patterns, the addictions…….

Audience 12: Thanks???, that’’s a lot [laughter]

Rimpoche: Sorry? [laughter] The positive and the negative addictions, and the positive and the negative habitual patterns, and the positive and the negative karmic imprint, all of them go with us. And they also do need also a little bit of waking up. When you get a little bit of a waking up, you can rightaway go back in your next reincarnation. Straightaway. But you need a little condition to wake you up. So, even the positive knowledge and the positive development, it also needs a little bit of training and a little bit of information. You can wake up. Maybe not fully wake up like boom, but gradually it go. In that manner. And all the habitual patterns, all the addictions, everything same. That we will think the children learn the things more than…… Like some funny movies, you don’’t want some children to see it, right? 1:18:03.4 You all do that. Okay but this is a movie it meant for us and kicked that out, in Tibet or something. You push them out and don’’t let them see and all this. And they don’’t know??? that you do. [laughter] And you get a surprise. That is the pattern they pick up, that is the habitual pattern they pick up. People who have addiction for sleeping (I don’’t want to go too extreme), sleeping. And they like to sleep all the time. They go that way. People who have addictions of…… meditation [laughs]. And when they learn a bit about meditating, they like to sit all the time and meditate. Ending positive, okay? Thank you. That’’s what it is.

Audience 11: I have another question.

Rimpoche: Sir! Oh, I’’m sorry.

Audience 13: Is there a proper way to leave the body? A way to go?

Rimpoche: Proper way. I don’’t know whether there’’s proper way or not, but when the attachment will no longer service you will have to leave anyway. Proper or improper, I don’’t know. They talk about it, whether the consciousness leaves from the head, it goes half??? level of the consciousness goes from the lower part they go, and low down???. These and that they talk about it. I’’m not very sure how much it is reliable, all this. And sometimes, some time it’’s too extreme, like read the Tibetan book of the dead. And then you can have a picnic in your life, and at the time of when you die make sure somebody read that book. That’’s not going to work. I’’m sure. I’’m sorry to say that it is not. I’’m sorry.

Audience 14: Now, I was just going to ask about the book of the dead. You answered mu question already.

Rimpoche: Okay, thank you.

Audience 11: My question was: are there souls??? that are split, that say/save??? like set of twins? Or there are new souls being born into the world. There is more and more human beings.

Rimpoche: Well, I mean the manifestation is possible. Specially when you reach a high level, higher spiritual level, you’’ll be able to manifestate a lot simultaneously. Simultaneously. But I don’’t think anything new there. All beings are beings from the beginning. It’’s there. I don’’t think there is a new being. According to the Buddha. I don’’t know anything. But that’’s what the Buddha said. According to the Buddha’’s quote, sutra. 1:20:59.4 The whole idea is:

NYAM SHE NEM PA NYAM SHE……

Non-consciousness cannot become a consciousness. The consciousness will continue to be a consciousness. So that the cause of the new life is old life, rather than something collectively put in, material or something. And that obviously none ??? the matters cannot become a mind and mind cannot become a matter. And it is: mind will continue as mind, and no-mind will not become a mind. And that’’s why it goes down to…… this is a big long thing goes???, and then boils down to: the whole consciousness is always consciousness. And there is nothing, no new being born. So, that’’s why they say there is a time, there will be a time that whole samsara will be empty. That’’s what they come to this point, because no new born. No, I’’m sorry: no new beings. [laughs] New born, yes but no new beings.

Yes?

Audience 15: Everyone is interested in that the direction of leaving. I would like some information on my age on reentering.

Rimpoche: You know, the simple things. If you read The Tibetan book of dead or any other book, they tell you, they will say: you focus on emptiness and blah-blah-blah-blah; and talk to you about clear light; they talk to you about this and this and that –– all these sorts of things are there. My straightforward advice will be…… suggestion will be: you bite what you can chew. Really true: you bite what you can chew. Don’’t bite something which you cannot chew. So, what you happened is: you neither have this, nor you have that. Which you don’’t wanted. So, you bite what you can chew. So, in that case, make sure your thoughts are put on positive. 1:24:00.0 Or thinking about enlightened beings; think of love, compassion; or praying. Anything which is comfortable for you, make sure you put your focus on that. You ask your friends round, make sure they remind you that. And make sure they don’’t distract you. You know they start crying. And then, you know, you feel bad, they feel bad. And as long as you can see what’’s going on, you know, as long as you can see what is going on –– and then, I troubled you???, I’’m gonna die, blah, blah, blah. Anything said, there’’s is no point. No point. This is a natural process one has to go through, might well as with confidence. Might well as go with confidence. Actually, you will know, it’’s a natural thing. You know, when you’’re in the hospital and you’’re not going good. And your friends will come to you and talk, ““Hey, you’’ll be better,””and, ““Wellcome back””, and, ““Next week I’’ll take you home””, and blah, blah, blah. And your doctor will say, ““Hey, I think you’’re doing okay, you’’re doing a bit better””, blah, blah, blah. But at the same time, they’’re talking behind you, at the end of the bed, bloo, bloo, bloo, bloo, bloo. Going on, and you begin to know (you know, some of them start crying), and you begin to know it’’s time for you to go. So then, at that time be kind to yourself and stop denying what’’s happening. Stop denying what’’s happening. You know, the living will can pull your life a little longer. But how long they can pull? That is, strong will of living can make your life a little longer. Yes for sure, they can. Because every phenomenon follows thought of mind. So, they can pull; they can pull a little longer. But that’’s not the purpose, there’’s no worth for that. Unless you want wait for somebody to come and see you. That’’s different. But otherwise, that’’s not some of the purpose and unnecessarily additional suffering and pain. So, put the mind, sort of put more focus on the positiveness. The positive, I don’’t mean: I’’m going to be alright. I’’m not talking about that positive. 1:27:03.6 Positive or virtuous nature: love, compassion, kindness to all, or wisdom, whatever you have. Or playing, or rely on enlightened beings. Fully enlightened ones. Don’’t rely on spirits, you’’re in trouble, you’’ll get into trouble. Don’’t rely on spirits at that time. Not, you know, the ghost spirit and all this. That spirit comes here, that spirit goes there. Millions of them around. If you rely on them, you become a ghost, I warn you. You will become a ghost in future. Anybody, you know, for that matter. But enlightened beings, fully enlightened beings.

Audience 16: [inaudible] …… and the consciousness coming into the body.

Rimpoche: No, madam. I heard your question. But return ……??? , if you have control on your death, you will have control on your birth. If you don’’t have control on your death, you will not have control on your birth. That’’s what I meant earlier: bite what you can chew. I’’m sorry to make it all obvious, but that what really is. It depends on the capability and the power of the individual –– at that level. So, this goes together. And control of death is more easier than that control of birth. There are great teachers, great teachers... The story. Now, I don’’t have much time, but story goes: there was one teacher and one disciple. And the disciple so excited and told, ““Master, master, I can do something funny. I learned something funny.”” And he said, ““What?”” And then he sort of give a big look and meditated big look on a fruit tree and all fruits dropped out. ““I can do that,”” he said. ““Stupid, put that back!”” [laughter] ““Stupid, put them back! You can’’t do it. You can’’t do it”” So, he says ““Don’’t bring them down if you don’’t know how to put them back.”” That’’s how it goes, thank you. 1:30:00.4 [laughter, applause]

I’’m sorry. What I am supposed to do in the morning, I didn’’t do it. But anyway, thank you.

[1:30:20.4 teaching has ended]